Snoop Dogg Part of Group Bidding to Purchase NHL’s Senators

The Senators are looking for new ownership, and it seems Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds isn’t the only celebrity getting involved in the bidding process.

According to The Athletic, rapper Snoop Dogg is involved in the ownership group led by Neko Sparks which is aiming to purchase Ottawa’s NHL franchise.

Snoop Dogg confirmed the reports via his own Instagram on Monday, sharing a photo of Senators players including Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson alongside an image of Sparks.

“Amazing what [Sparks] is trying to do in Ottawa & I'm looking forward to being apart of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY,” the rapper wrote in his Instagram caption.

The report from The Athletic indicates the final sale price of the Senators could exceed the $1 billion threshold. The next round of bids for the organization is due on May 15.

Sparks, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, is heading a consortium consisting of at least a dozen investors aiming to purchase the NHL franchise.

Snoop Dogg has been around the NHL for a while now, occasionally making guest broadcasting appearances for the Kings, his hometown team. The Athletic indicates he could make similar appearances throughout the 2023–24 season in Ottawa, should Sparks’s bid be successful. 

If successful in his attempt to buy the team, Sparks would become the NHL’s first Black owner.

The Senators are currently owned by the Melnyk Family, who hired Galatioto Sports Partners to explore a potential sale of the franchise back in 2022.